Philadelphia Union

With the announcement on Tuesday that the Union will play its 2012 home opener on Sunday, March 18, the Goalkeeper writes, “I also would not be surprised if the Union’s home opener is nationally televised. It is the only home opener scheduled for March 18, though that does not necessarily mean that no other games are scheduled for that date.”

Union goalkeeping coach Rob Vartughian says the only thing better than coaching at the recent USMNT U-23 camp in Germany was doing so with three Union players—Jack McInerney, Amobi Okugo and Sheanon Williams—on the roster.

Over at ESPN, Leander Schaerlaeckens begins with the idea of trying to figure out how MLS compares to other leagues in the world. After talking to a couple of high profile imports from the Premiership and Bundesliga, he concludes you really can’t make a comparison given the salary restrictions that are part of MLS’s set up. Next he spends a few paragraphs examining those restrictions, drops in a reference to Soccernomics, and then abruptly concludes “how do you even begin to objectively measure MLS against any other league if you can’t follow the money?” What I want to know is how I can objectively conclude it is worth my time to continue reading this guy’s articles?

Jakarta police said they would deploy 2,819 officers to provide security for today’s friendly between an Indonesian Select XI and LA Galaxy. LA won 1–0. Unconfirmed reports from my imagination say they intended to deploy 2,820 officers but then remembered that Suparman Perkasa had already put in for vacation time to attend his cousin’s wedding.

Michael Ballack joins Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka on the list of Chelsea players past and present being touted as a possible replacement for David Beckham.

WPS

Tatjana Haenni, the head of women’s soccer at FIFA, has offered her support of WPS, which is struggling for Division 1 sanctioning from US Soccer. “The professional league in the United States is obviously a league the world looks at. It was the first professional league for women’s football and it plays in a huge country known as one of the strongest countries in women football. I think it’s important that the league continues. It would really be a pity for women’s football if, in the US, there is no professional league.” WUSA, the Women’s United Soccer Association, which included the Philadelphia Charge, was actually the first women’s professional league, and began its first season in April, 2001 before folding in 2003. The first WPS season began in March, 2009 with the Philadelphia Independence joining the league in 2010.

US

The USWNT 31 player roster for the December training camp ahead of Olympic qualification has been released. Of the 26 WPS players on the roster, 21 are described as “out of contract,” including Nicole Barnhart, Lori Lindsey and Amy Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Independence. Penn State midfielder Christine Nairn is among those who got the call up.

Soccer America mourns the passing of former USMNT U-17 coach Roy Rees. Rees coached the US team at four U-17 World Cups.

Leander Schaerlaeckens, is a joke to soccer journalism and journalism as a whole. Following A.C. Milan’s lost to Barcelona, Leander wrote an article on how the players of AC Milan are criminals, a bunch of thugs, “Band of degenerates” and “Gattuso belongs in jail”. He wrote that article on November 24th on ESPN.com and has since removed the article. He is a waste of everyone’s time.

Union linked with Kepa Blanco out of La Liga. Interesting to note that as of late the Union have consistently been linked with players who both LA and the Red Bulls are also linked with. The new minority owners also own both those teams so perhaps they are already getting fairly involved.